Emerging Therapeutics for Neurodegenerative Diseases 2019: Focus on Huntington’s Disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (HD & ALS)

At present, only a few therapies are available with relatively low success. Both, the clinical and the scientific communities are critically devoted to developing new therapeutic approaches to treat and diagnose neurodegenerative diseases.

At present days, neurodegenerative diseases represent one of the main causes of death in the industrialized economy. Overall characterized by a loss of neurons in particular regions of the nervous system, the subsequent decline in cognitive and motor function that patients experience in these diseases is associated with nerve cell loss.

The most common denominator among neurodegenerative diseases, in addition to nerve cell loss, is inflammation. Although a series of mutant genes and environmental toxins are related to neurodegenerative disorders, the causal mechanisms remain poorly understood.

Neurodegenerative diseases can be defined as multifactorial debilitating disorders of the nervous system. Overall, neurodegenerative diseases affect approximately 30 million individuals worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Click here to read the full report

Zika study showing damage to mice testes raises questions about human effects

SPIKE WALKER/WELLCOME IMAGES The outside edge of two seminiferous tubules of a mouse testis.

SPIKE WALKER/WELLCOME IMAGES  – The outside edge of two seminiferous tubules of a mouse testis.

The Zika virus attacks cells in mouse testes crucial for sperm and sex hormone generation and hampers reproduction, according to new research that raises the possibility that the virus could affect fertility in men.

There are major caveats to the research, which was published Monday in the journal Nature. The study was conducted in mice, and many findings from mouse studies do not hold up in people. The researchers also used a very powerful dose of Zika when infecting the mice.

And even if the same outcomes bear out in people, researchers have no idea what percentage of men who contract Zika would be affected or just how damaging the infection could be. Many men, for example, can see a drop in their sperm count without having a harder time conceiving a child.

Click here to read the full story.